Lackey's Seducing Survival Odyssey

Chapter 815: HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME?!

While Aether was busy with his so-called date, meanwhile, back in the Pyra Empire…

”Hmmm…”

Aqualina groaned softly, feeling an ache in her head as her consciousness slowly returned. Her eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was an unfamiliar ceiling. Her brows furrowed as a deep frown formed on her face. The last thing she remembered was talking to Victor before—her eyes darkened—someone had knocked her out.

”Fucker…” she muttered under her breath, her annoyance clear as she pushed herself up.

Just as she was about to fully get up, her gaze landed on something—someone—that made her freeze for a moment.

”Mom?”

Her voice came out in a mix of confusion and disbelief as she stared at the woman sitting on a chair, smiling warmly at her.

It was Sandra... Her mother!

”How is my sleepyhead?” Sandra asked gently, her voice soft with affection.

Aqualinaʼs eyes widened before she immediately jumped into her motherʼs arms, hugging her tightly as if she feared she would disappear, ”I-I missed you, Mom… I reaaallllyyy missed you so much,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she buried her face in Sandraʼs embrace, inhaling the familiar scent she had longed for.

Sandra chuckled warmly, running her fingers through Aqualinaʼs hair before wrapping her arms around her daughter protectively. Her gaze shifted slightly toward Celestia, who stood quietly in the corner, observing them without a word.

After a few moments of holding onto each other, Aqualina finally pulled back, her expression quickly shifting from relief to concern. Her brows knit together as she looked at her mother more carefully.

”Mom, are you alright? Did they hurt you?” Her eyes flickered with worry before darting around the unfamiliar place. ”And… where the hell are we?” she asked, her voice sharp with suspicion as she tried to piece together what had happened.

Sandra let out an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. ”Well… about that…” she hesitated before sighing. ”We were imprisoned in the Pyra Empire.”

Aqualina blinked. Surprisingly, she didnʼt react with shock. Instead, her expression remained eerily calm, as if she had already expected something like this. But then, her lips curled downward in irritation.

”I canʼt believe that bastard actually kidnapped me… right in front of the Principal,” she muttered, her voice laced with disbelief. Her expression darkened as her mind raced, ”And the Principal… what the hell was she doing? Just standing there, watching?!” Her voice grew harsher, her frustration evident as her trust in the Principal wavered.

Sandra coughed weakly before nodding, ”Anyway—”

Before she could continue, Aqualina cut in with a serious expression. ”Mom, getting out of the Empire isnʼt an easy task. Dragons here are annoyingly loyal to their Emperor, and they wonʼt just let us waltz out the front door.” Her fingers tapped lightly against her thigh as she started thinking. ”For now, we should stay put and observe… but donʼt worry, I already have a plan to escape.” A small smirk tugged at her lips as she thought of a certain someone. ʼI just need to call Aether…ʼ

Sandra tilted her head slightly, watching her daughter. Then, after a moment, she asked, ”Aqualina… arenʼt you going to ask why we were imprisoned in the first place?”

Aqualina barely hesitated before shaking her head. ”No, I donʼt need to. Whatever you did… I believe you had a good reason. Youʼre not reckless, and you donʼt make stupid mistakes. I trust you, Mom.”

Sandraʼs breath hitched slightly at those words, her lips trembling as emotion washed over her. Without thinking, she pulled Aqualina back into another hug, holding her even tighter than before.

”You…” she whispered, her voice full of emotion.

But despite the touching moment, she couldnʼt let Aqualina act recklessly here, so she finally spoke, ”You see… I was the one who told Victor to bring you back.”

”H-Huh?”

Aqualina blinked, her expression shifting into confusion. ”Wait… youʼre saying… you actually told that bastard to bring me here?”

Sandra took a deep breath, nodding. ”Yes… I did. Weʼre in a very dangerous situation right now, and staying here is actually the best option for us.”

Aqualina narrowed her eyes, analyzing her motherʼs expression carefully... Then, after a second, she sighed, ”That makes sense now…” she murmured.

”Thatʼs why even the Principal didnʼt do anything to stop Victor… ah.” She leaned back slightly, crossing her arms. ”Fine. I get it. But I still have one question—why here? And…” her eyes darkened, ”Victor isnʼt someone who does things out of kindness. What does he want from you?”

Sandra smiled, her expression unreadable. ”Nothing.”

Aqualina scoffed, not buying it for a second. ”Nothing? Yeah, right. Thatʼs total bull— ahem, I mean, thereʼs no way thatʼs true.” She folded her arms. ”I know he wouldnʼt just help you out of the goodness of his heart. He must want something in return. But whatever, Iʼll just confirm it myself.” She straightened up, determination flashing in her eyes. ”Iʼll contact Aether telepathically. Since they were friends, he should be able to help us out.”

Sandra weakly chuckled. ”Thereʼs no need for that… Wait!” But then her eyes widened slightly as something dawned on her. ”You can communicate with him too?”

”Too?” Aqualinaʼs brows shot up, her mind immediately catching onto something. ”Wait… what do you mean ʼtooʼ?” Her frown deepened as she stared at her mother, a sinking feeling growing inside her.

Sandra coughed, realizing she might have let something slip. It wasnʼt like she had it, but— ʼCome to think of it… my daughter doesnʼt know about that jerkʼs audacity…ʼ She suddenly grinned, as if a few plans were already forming in her mind. ”You see, he is—”

However—

”So you have it too… ah,” Aqualina murmured, her expression turning gloomy as if she had just figured out something far worse than she had expected.

”Huh? What are you—”

”Thereʼs no need to hide it anymore… I knew it. I knew this was going to happen…” Aqualina muttered in a dejected tone, shaking her head.

Sandra flinched slightly, a flicker of panic appearing in her eyes. ʼD-Does she know I know about her? Did Aether tell her something?ʼ Her heart pounded for a moment as her face turned pale.

But then she took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. ʼYeah… I canʼt hide it anymore. She must have remembered everything by now…ʼ

Sandra knew that trying to cover things up would only make it more painful later. And besides, she needed Aqualina to have every right to know what was going on around her!

So she finally decided to come clean—well, except for the deal and the whole godsʼ business.

”You are my mother—what?”

”You are in love with Aether—what?”

They spoke at the same time, their words clashing in perfect unison before they both froze.

An eerie silence filled the room as their eyes widened in horror, staring at each other.

”You knew?”

”You knew?”

”...”

”...”

”Pfff!!”

Celestia, who had been silently watching the entire time, finally lost it. She almost burst out laughing, barely able to contain herself as she covered her mouth. Their reactions were so identical, so synchronized—it was like watching a carbon copy of the same person. And yet, even she was shocked by what Sandra had just revealed.

Meanwhile, back in the Naiadae Empire…

Tuck, Tuck…

The rhythmic sound of the carriage wheels rolling over the stone-paved road filled the quiet air inside. The golden hues of the setting sun bathed the world outside in a warm glow, casting long shadows over the city.

Inside the carriage, Aether and Xara sat across from each other, both eerily silent, their thoughts lost in the same words...

ʼAlready in my hands…ʼ

The Prophetessʼs words echoed in their minds.

ʼWhat did she mean by that? That he is the answer Iʼve been searching for?ʼ Xara frowned, her fingers absentmindedly tapping against the window frame. She gazed outside, watching the shifting landscape, but her focus repeatedly drifted back to Aether, who sat deep in thought. His brows were furrowed, his fingers tightening slightly, as though trying to grasp something invisible in his palm.

”So… what exactly did she say to you?” Xara finally asked, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer.

Aether snapped out of his thoughts, his lips curling into an amused smirk as he looked at her. ”Someoneʼs awfully curious about OUR future life together, huh?” he teased, his voice laced with mischief.

Xaraʼs lips twitched in irritation. ʼTsk.ʼ She clicked her tongue, immediately looking away, crossing her arms in a huff.

Aether let out a soft chuckle before finally answering. ”She said… it was all in my hands.”

Xara raised an eyebrow but didnʼt press further. Instead, she leaned back against her seat, letting his words settle in her mind.

Aether, on the other hand, turned his gaze toward the passing scenery. His mind replayed the Prophetessʼs cryptic message, trying to decipher its true meaning.

ʼSo… she meant to say my second option is the right one? Thatʼs what she was hinting at?ʼ His first choice had been to seek out the Prophetess for process, yet it seemed like his second option had already aligned with fate. But still… something about it didnʼt sit right with him.

Just then, as the carriage continued its steady pace, a particular sight made Aether freeze.

A strange tree swayed gently...

ʼIsnʼt that… the same one that appeared in my Empire?ʼ His frown deepened, his pulse quickening slightly. ʼSo, itʼs growing here too? But why? What does this mean?ʼ

More questions flooded his mind, but the answers?

Fuck up!

Before he could dwell on it further, the carriage slowed, finally arriving at their destination—the Frostblade Mansion.

As they stepped out, Xara, who had been absentmindedly gripping Aetherʼs coat, rubbed the fabric between her fingers before casually asking, ”So… whereʼs this surprise you promised me?”

Aether grinned. ”Surprise? Oh, so you actually care about it? How cute—”

”Tsk. Forget it,” Xara huffed, turning away with an annoyed expression as if she had regretted asking in the first place.

Aether chuckled, shaking his head. ”Come on now… the surprise I prepared is huge, you know? Itʼs not something that can just be handed over in an instant. Itʼll take some time.”

”I donʼt care,” Xara replied dismissively, pretending to be uninterested, though a small flicker of curiosity lingered in her eyes.

”You will care,” Aether said with a confident smirk. ”Believe me, youʼll love it.” Then, with a playful glint in his eyes, he pointed toward the towering mountain in the distance. ”Though by the time you receive your surprise… Iʼll already be at the top.”

Xara blinked, her gaze shifting toward the peak before looking back at him. ”You will—”

Before she could finish her sentence—

”HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME?!!”

A furious, thunderous voice echoed through the air.

Aether and Xara both flinched at the sheer rage behind it. Their heads whipped around to see none other than.... Delphine.